It wasn’t the best match of the competition, but the final of the 2026 World Cup between Spain and Argentina raised controversy because of how it ended. After Spain won the title, Leandro Paredes became involved in a post-match altercation with several Spanish players, drawing criticism from Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic said: “Paredes can be happy that there wasn’t a player like me on the field. If I had been there, I would have headbutted him and been sent off. It was unprofessional of him. I don’t know what the Spanish players were doing. They simply watched another player hit a teammate.”
After the match ended in Spain’s favor, the players entered the field and mocked their Argentine opponents, with the result on their side, in another questionable attitude. This prompted a reaction from Paredes, who pushed Eric García before throwing Gavi to the ground in an altercation that did not last long.
Ibrahimovic hailed Spain
Spain was ultimately the best team of the competition. Even after beginning with a goalless draw against Cape Verde, the team found its best version and went on to win every remaining match.
Paredes didn’t react well to being mocked after the match (Al Bello/Getty Images)
That was also the case in the final, with Spain controlling possession and benefiting from injuries to players on the other team that forced Argentina to sit back, while a red card made things even easier for Spain in extra time.
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Ibrahimovic said: “Soccer won today. The way Spain plays, the way they competed at this World Cup, that’s what people want to see. Argentina didn’t have a single shot on target. Spain had the best defense in the tournament, and the team that deserved to win did. I said it before the World Cup, and that’s how it turned out.”
Ibrahimovic’s history in the competition
Ibrahimovic’s career was phenomenal, albeit he could never win the Champions League despite playing for teams such as Barcelona, Inter and Juventus. His numbers with Sweden in the World Cup were not as impressive, ashe failed to score in five matches across two editions. He also failed to reach the tournament with Sweden on two other occasions, while he was not called up for the 2018 edition.
